Regulated and Restricted Items - Overview

If you intend to sell on one or more of eBay's international sites, you will need to accept, and we encourage you to carefully review, the User Agreement, policies, and other requirements of that site. You can continue to reach out to the relevant customer service teams on the respective eBay site of your listing or transaction, as may be applicable to the nature of your query.

Before you list your item, you need to find out if your item is allowed on eBay and if the type of item is subject to certain restrictions to avoid potential issues with your listing. As an eBay seller, you are ultimately responsible for making sure that selling an item is legal in the eyes of the law. Read the Embargoed Goods and Prohibited Countries Policy to gain a better insight on complying with all governmental rules and regulations.

Violations of these policies may result in a range of actions, including:

Listing cancellation

Limits on account privileges

Account suspension

Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings

Loss of PowerSeller status.

When policy violations occur, eBay emails the seller, as well as bidders, that a listing has been ended. You may contact eBay to report violations by using the “Report” or “Contact Us” links found on most policy pages.

Understanding the rules about prohibited and restricted items

Policies about listing items are often based on country and state laws. However, many restrictions may involve the sale of dangerous or sensitive items and are not necessarily prohibited by law. The limitations are the result of input by numerous stakeholders, including the Community. For example, see Offensive Material Policy.

When selling across borders, be aware of international trading and import restrictions. Certain items may be legal in your country, but may be illegal elsewhere.

Just because a particular type of item is listed below, it does not mean that it is completely prohibited. For example, in the Used Medical Devices Policy, many items are prohibited (for example, contact lenses), but many others are allowed – under certain circumstances (for example some medical instruments).

Note: Examples are designed to help explain the policy and should not be viewed as an exhaustive list.